Walking a dog, especially large dogs, can be physically demanding on the dog walker. When a dog pulls on the leash, the dog walker is often times pulled forward, with a majority of the pulling force on an upper portion of the body which may cause trauma to the arms, shoulder joints, and/or back of the dog walker, and in some cases may result in a fall, causing further injury. Moreover, walking a dog takes at least one hand, which only leaves one hand free. Last, walking a dog may be particularly dangerous in the woods or at night, as a dog walker may be prone to injury by cars or wild animals.